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What Does Sabbath Mean to You?

Recently I was in an R.C.I.A. meeting and as a group we were looking at today’s First reading.  As our leader read the text for us, we were asked to listen intently and then share a word or phrase that we heard that really jumped out at us.  The line that kept replaying in my mind was, “Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy.”  As we shared our responses to the question on the floor, I was surprised to hear that this also resonated with others at the meeting.  As the discussion continued, it was pointed out how difficult it is to honour this commandment in today’s world.

I began to remember the stories my dad would tell me about my grandfather and grandmother and how, when he was young, they would peel the vegetables for Sunday dinner on Saturday night so as to not have to work on the Sabbath.  And heaven forbid anyone hang a load of laundry on the line on Sunday.  And even when I was a young lad, I played a lot of sports, but never on Sunday.  Fast forward a few years and it seems today that for most of society, Sunday is just another day.  Just as an aside, I know the Sabbath day can be different depending on your faith, but for anyone who is Christian, it is Sunday.

I often wonder why things have changed so much in such a relatively short period of time.  While I don’t know the answer to that, I do believe that the legislation that has allowed these changes is not changing anytime soon.  So, with that in mind, it falls to us, me and you to decide how we will keep God’s commandment to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.  As I started to examine my own routine on a Sunday, I tried to see how Sunday was different in any way from any other day in my week.  If I am being totally honest, other than being at mass every Sunday morning, most of the time having the rest of the day off, and then gathering with family for Sunday dinner, the day is quite similar to many other days.

It occurred to me that while most, if not all of us, do our best to live by these 10 commandments that we hear today, we seem to be able to justify bending the rules a little bit when they become inconvenient.  We tell ourselves that we are not hurting anyone if we spend the day shopping, because we’re busy through the week and there is no other time to get this stuff done.  And what could be any more wholesome than spending time at the arena with our children on a Sunday morning yelling at them to do better?  But with this mindset, I think we are missing the point.

When I look at this commandment to honour the Sabbath, I need to see it as God doing for me a favour I refuse to do for myself.  I have a loving God, who only has my best interest at heart, telling me that I need to rest.  Not for God’s benefit, but for mine.  Whether I want to admit it or not, I need time out of the busyness of everyday life to re-focus and re-visit who I am as a beloved child of God.  How do I live this truth in my relationships with family and friends?  And maybe trying to figure out why I always seem to be on the run, and who or what am I running from?  The Gospels are filled with accounts of Jesus having to retreat and spend time in prayer so as to live out his mission as God would want him to.  I think we can safely say that if rest was important for Jesus, it is crucial for us.

I know that for many people, not working on Sunday is not an option.  I was one of those people for many years in my life so often my day of rest was another day in the week.  I still needed that rest.  I also know from experience with my children that unsolicited advice is often unwanted advice, but I would like to offer this.  Take the win, if you can.  Be good to yourself and allow yourself to rest without guilt.  After all, this is not just a piece of good advice from a friend, it’s a commandment from God.

Mark Mahoney,
Pastoral Associate